The present invention relates to tools and, more particularly, to wood boring tools.
Forstner bits, also known as Forstner flange bits or webfoot augers, bore precise, flat-bottomed holes in wood. The bits may also cut on an edge of a work piece or cut overlapping holes. The bit includes a drilling head having a center point or tip that guides the head during a cut. The drilling head has a generally cylindrical shape around its perimeter that defines a diameter of the bit, shears the wood at the edge of the hole and helps precisely guide the bit into the wood. The bit further includes two radial cutting edges to plane off material at a bottom of the hole.
Current types of Forstner bits include a large mass that defines the drilling head of the bit. The drilling head sweeps through a relatively large angle leaving relatively small openings. The small openings inhibit the user's view through the bit. As the bit rotates, the drilling head makes it difficult for a user to see the bottom of the hole being bored. The small openings also limit chip removal from the hole.